The growing opioid crisis in the United States is one of society’s most pressing problems. Latest data from The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that among people aged 12 or older in 2021, 9.2 million people misused opioids (heroin or prescription pain relievers) and reported more than 80,000 deaths from overdose the same year — a stark increase from the 68,000 the year prior. In Arizona alone more than five people die per day from opioid-related overdoses, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Experts say that increased awareness, improved access to drug abuse treatment, and adequate training for current or prospective medical providers can be a game-changer in the future of the opioid crisis.
Cornerstone Healing Center — which is located in Scottsdale and recently celebrated five years in the Valley — has begun a comprehensive nurse practitioner preceptorship program to educate the next generation of medical professionals in the most effective and up-to-date methods of addiction treatment. Available for both in-person Arizona State University students, along with other Arizona-based students who are participating in online nurse practitioner programs throughout the country, the program provides hands-on training opportunities that will allow students to have face-to-face interactions with clients participating in residential, partial hospitalization, and outpatient programs.
The goal is to provide students with valuable insights into recognizing, diagnosing, and treating all manners of substance abuse disorders, an area of study that’s often overlooked in traditional nurse practitioner programs, and is often given minimal attention on board certification exams and reviews.
In the near future, Cornerstone also hopes to collaborate with its students to analyze real-world data that will help to formulate future treatment programs. This will help to create guidelines that will inform the medical community as a whole on the most effective methods of helping people overcome their substance abuse disorders.
